Friday, October 24, 2014

I love finding weird little compact discs in places where you wouldn't expect to find them. I've mentioned before a company that I worked for, that has now closed down, where I would often find and buy cheap discount albums. One of which that I came across was Metallica The Early Days. It's tracks that are listed as being live recordings, and in a sense they are. The album's introduction also claims the members playing on these recordings are the band's four original members, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Dave Mustain, and Ron McGovney.

Let me start by saying the production on this album is pretty much non existent. It was a live demo recording. There's no production. It's the band playing and it being recorded. That is it. However, to hear the original line up is cool, and to see how little they changed at the core by the time they were recorded as Kill 'Em All, makes it that much more impressive.

This album is labled as having eight tracks, but it only has seven. The Introduction that was mentioned above is actually on Hit The Lights which starts the album. I like the purpose this song serves, but the production kills it on here.

I love Seek And Destroy, and I'm even cool with the version on here. It's clearly an early version, but it totally nails the song home. I love the way they use Seek And Destroy in the start of the Some Kind Of Monster Documentary, to show the passage of time with the band. If I were making an audio copy I would start with this version.

When it comes to Motorbreath I so prefer a Live Shit: Binge And Purge James voice. I hate the high pitch squeals on this track. The sound of those vocals makes the song sound like a bit of a joke about teenage Metal bands, which is what they were, but that's not the point.

There are some Metallica songs I have just never cared for, and Phantom Lord is one of them. It's a good song, but it's to a-typical Heavy Metal for their sound at the time. "Sound is ripping through your ears / The deafening sound of metal nears / Your bodies waiting for his whips / The taste of leather on your lips / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / Victims falling under chains / You hear them crying dying pains / The fists of terrors breaking through / Now there's nothing you can do / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / The leather armies have prevailed / The Phantom Lord has never failed / Smoke is lifting from the ground / The rising volume metal sound / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / Fall to your knees / and bow to the Phantom Lord", just doesn't work for the modern Lords Of Heavy Metal.

The Mechanix is the song that became The Four Horsemen. The alternate lyrics to this song are diggable as a different band playing it. I've always enjoyed the Dave Mustain variation with Megadeth, and this would clearly be the demo to that song. When it comes to Metallica's variation this song is a cool early prototype, like the alternate lyrics to Fuel you can find from live recordings prior to Reload coming out. Also on certain singles.

When it comes to Jump In The Fire they benefitted from Cliff Burton being on the bass on Kill 'Em All, but they lose out by not having Mustaine. Go listen to a version on Youtube from him and make sure one of them if from the thirtieth anniversary show. This version shows a dumbed down (sorry that's not a nice way to put it) bass line, that's way too far forward in the mix.

Like other tracks before this Metal Militia is one of those songs I just don't really dig. It's okay, but it brings down Kill 'Em All, and I hate that it's a closer on this album. Totally wrecks it for me.

I would rate the production as one, but you can hear the bass pretty clear and the guitars do pop, when they aren't totally blended into each other, there's also some drums in there. The vocals can be heard very clearly. That's it. The rest is garbage.

This is an album that you pick up as a fan of the band, and listen to it maybe once or twice a decade. Well, I think I do once every five years, normally in the fall, and then I tuck it away for who knows how long.

Fans only should buy this album. You could give it to a fan as a gift, but it's a collectors gift, not a throw it on and rock it out gift.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Growing up over the years I knew a couple of songs from Grand Funk Railroad, but surprisingly only a few. Which in hind sight sounds odd. They weren't from Detroit, but they are Michiganders (I think that's the right word.)

So, when I found myself working across the street from the music store I frequent most often, I started buying random CDs to check out bands I only sort of knew. I had no clue where to start with this band, so I cheaped out and took the Greatest Hits method. That way I knew at least a few of the songs.

The album opens with We're An American Band. I love this song. I always have, and I always will. It's just such a great party track, that has always made me just want to rock out. I could go into so much more on this song, but most likely you already know this song, or should be checking it out right now for yourself, because something went wrong in your life.

I had to check the liner notes for Time Machine, because this one sounds older, and I can see why. It's from 1969, and it's amazing how different the sound of the production can change in less than four years. That's all that separates the first track and and the second one, but you might think it was decades. However, you can still tell it's the same band.

I did not know this was Grand Funk, but when I first heard Walk Like A Man I knew it right away. I don't remember this one being on the radio, but I do remember hearing it somewhere, more than once. I almost wonder if either my dad or my uncle had owned a copy of the We're An American Band album, and with these two songs being the only representation of that album it does make me want to pick it up.

Some Kind Of Wonderful is just one of those songs that I associate to Christmas parties, and weddings. This is yet another one of those songs I think everyone should know, even if you don't like it, you should still know it.

Shinin' On came out the same year as American Band and Walk Like A Man, but is from a different album. It's one of two tracks from the album of the same name, so it makes me wonder if it was a left over album, from the other session. Especially when you see what the second song is.

Heartbreaker comes from the same album as Time Machine and would be enough to deter me from picking up the album. It's got some great Midwest Blues going on, mixed with a little California vibe, but it's not my thing.

The next track up is Rock 'N Roll Soul, which is from 1972, which shows that the procution sound only took three years to change by leaps and bounds. Also, if there is one thing that can be said about Grand Funk Railroad by this point in the album, it's that they are amazing musicians. I always laugh at a joke from an episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer goes on a diatribe about Rock music, and specifically about this band, and every word of it was true. This song helps back that up all the way.

You may laugh when thinking that this band covering The Loco-Motion is cheesy, but it isn't. This is the best version I have ever heard of this song, and it's totally awesome. This is the other song from the Shinin' On album. I've personally played this song while a DJ at a wedding.

Footstompin' Music is your basic, run of the mill, boogie woogie song. There's nothing stand out about it, but it sure will get your foot tapping.

When I first picekd up this album I wasn't overly fond of Mean Mistreater (live), but it's grown on me, big time. I wouldn't say it's a favourite, but it has such great ambience and flavour that you can't help but love it, if you are a Rock'n'phile. Coined that term here. I will say that this song doesn't sound live so much as recorded live off the floor in a studio. In fact it could easily be mistaken as one of the 1969 recordings.

To me Take Me was ahead of it's time. This sounds like it should have been the hit single for a soundtrack in the 1980's. Even lyrically it has that feel and vibe. This could have been Footloose, if Footloose had been cool and played by an amazing set of musicians.

Bad Time is a skip it song for me. Outside of having this album on, I would never listen to this song.

Musically I'm Your Captain is bit of pure genius. I find it layered and textured in all the right ways, and it comes off as very well skilled. However, I'm not a fan of the song itself. Like I said great song, it's just not my cup of tea. I even enjoy the complexity of the lyrics (okay sort of complex), but the material in those words I find lacking. "Everybody, listen to me / And return me my ship / I'm your captain, I'm your captain / Though I'm feeling mighty sick / I've been lost now, days uncounted / And it's months since I've seen home / Can you hear me, can you hear me / Or am I all alone / If you return me to my home port / I will kiss you, Mother Earth / Take me back now, take me back now / To the port of my birth / Am I in my cabin dreaming / Or are you really scheming / To take my ship away from me? / You'd better think about it / I just can't live without it / So, please don't take my ship from me, yeah, yeah, yeah / I can feel the hand of a stranger / And it's tightening around my throat / Heaven help me, Heaven help me / Take this stranger from my boat / I'm your captain, I'm your captain / Though I'm feeling mighty sick / Everybody, listen to me / And return me my ship / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home, oh / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home".

Inside Looking Out is a pretty solid way to finish off this collection. It has a lot of your key Soul and Blues turning points, and riffs, mixed along with a sound and vibe that's easily mistakable for James Brown. This is some very early Heavy, 1970 Heavy, and then there's the jam in that covers the second half of this song. It really brings this album to a good close.

All in all I do like this album, but I'm still not sure if there's any one specific studio album I would buy for myself to try out. At least not based on this mix, because there's just a little from here and a little from there, but no clear pattern to what was the best album to start with.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Sinister Urge holds a special place in my heart because it was my son's lullaby music. I kid you not it was the only album we could put on in the house that would help him fall asleep when he was a toddler. And even though you would think that it might warp him, I would say it had quite the opposite effect. He's more of a little preppy for my likings, but what are you going to do.

I've heard it said that this was almost Rob Zombie's last studio album. There were rumours circling around just after Zombie released his best of package, that he was about to call it quits, and then came Johnny 5 and the rest is history. I can understand why after listening to this album.

The album opens with Sinners Inc. This is more or less a little soundscape, mixed with music to set up a vibe and feel for the album. It's nothing spectacular, but it does the job perfectly.

Next up is Demon Speeding which is a great high paced rocker, that helps fill the album well, but for the most part doesn't do much for me. I'm sure some people love this track, but by Rob's standards it's a little basic. This is a great driving song, but if you are just listening I find the song feels a bit long.

I find Dead Girl Superstar carries on with the same thoughts I had on the last track, but it doesn't feel as long.

The best part about Rob Zombie is you can dance to his music. Never Gonna Stop (the red, red kroovy) is a great example of this. You can bump. You can grind. You can get your freak on and let your dancing shoes do their thing. Also talk about a song that was created to play live. The chorus alone makes this a concert fave. "Yeah / My durango number 95 / Take me to the home / Kick boots / And ultra live / See heaven flash / A horrorshow / Knock it nice / And smooth / Step back and / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Yeah / The devil ride / A dinosaur / He paint the monster red / So the blood don't / Stain the floor / In out / Real savage show / Skorry as a shot / Came sickness / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Yeah / My durango number 95 / Take me to the home / Kick boots / And ultra live / See heaven flash / A horrorshow / Knock it nice / And smooth / Step back and / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more".

Iron Head features Ozzy Osbourne on vocals as well. This one's got a little groove to it, but it's pretty standard, even with The Prince of Darkness chiming in on the song.

The one song I always tend to forget about when it comes to this album is (go to) California. I always think of this album as being pretty basic and the majority of the songs are similar, with the exception of the few that really stand out. This song does stand out as well, and is a really good song, and once again you can easily dance to it. This song suffers most because of the song that follows.

Feel So Numb is pure adrenaline, high velocity blood pumping, ultra monster stomping, Heavy. It's not Metal, and it's not Rock as most people would think of it. This is one of those songs that describes the Modern Heavy so well.

Transylvanian Trasmissions Pt. 1 is basically another soundscape. It's cool and gives a great vibe.

When I hear Bring Her Down (to Crippletown) I could never tell you the name of the song. I just think of it as the "Beep, beep, beep" song based on one line. It's nothing against the song, it's just a stock track. A Zombie stock track, but a stock track all the same.

Scum Of The Earth is yet another song that I understand why people like it. It's very White Zombie sounding, but that being said is exactly why I really don't care about this track one way or the other. I love Rob solo, and tolerate his first group.

When I first bought this album it was for one song and one song alone. House Of 1000 Corpses is a beautiful, sexy, dark and dirty song that with thrill you with horrifying delight. That's without seeing the movie, that it belongs to. This song perfectly captures the vibe and feel of a movie that had yet to be released when this album first came out. Let's tell you the folk tale of these nasty people. "She had a corpse / Under her bed / She had her fun / But now he's dead / Hear momma said / Come feed desire / Her brother said / Hey, throw her on the fire / This is the house / Come on in / This is the house / Built on sin / This is the house / Nobody lives / This is the house / You get what you give / I cut the flesh / And make it bleed / Fresh skin / Is what I need / I let it dry / Out in the wood / All your crying / Did no good, yeah / Now you're lying / On the floor / Yeah, you can't / Take anymore / The devil's laughing / In your face / Give me another taste, yeah". It then moves into a sound scape and fades out for a minute or two until it kicks back in with the hidden track Unholy Thee, which is a great mix of Heavy music with movie dialogue inserts.

The two big singles on this album were the best choices for singles (Never Gonna Stop and Feel So Numb), House Of 1000 Corspses is still one of my favourite Zombie songs, but other than that to me this album is pretty much basic Rob Zombie. It's not bad, and is really solid, but it's just so overly predictable.

Scum Of The Earth and Demon Speeding were both technically singles as well, but they pailed in comparison, and were just something to throw out on the radio.

I must mention that I always love the production on a Rob Zombie album, and in this case, Scott Humphrey and the main man himself, do a great job with this album.